Closure latch



u y 1960 ,J. G. JOACHIM ErAL 2,943,880

CLOSURE LATCH Filed July 50, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY mffivcesaaez' 4 TTOEA/E Y July 5, 1960 JOACHIM ETAL 2,943,880

7 CLOSURE LATCH Filed July 30, 1958 z'sneets-sheet 2 11 g 150 IE) mm a] a 17 as INVENTORS BYQ/ edflvceSazzet y 1960 J. G. JOACHIM ETAL 2,943,880

7 CLOSURE LATCH Filed July so, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent CLOSURE LATCH Joseph George Joachim, Detroit, and Alfred B. Sauer,

Farmington, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 30, 1958, Ser. No. 751,927

12 Claims. (Cl. 292-201) This invention relates to closure latches and more particularly' to vehicle body closure latches.

The closure latch of this invention is intended primarily for use with vehicle body deck lids and is selectively operable to unlatch the deck lid from the body, either from the interior thereof by power means or the exterior thereof by manual means to move the deck lid to a partially open position, and is further operable to move the deck lid from a partially closed'to a fully closed position in tight sealing engagement with the body after the deck lid has been moved from an open position to the partially closed position.

' In the past, closure latches of this general type have often included a power operated extendable and retractable striker which was extended upon release of the latch,

either from the interior or the exterior of the body, to

move the deck lid to a partially open position, and was retracted upon engagement of the latch bolt with the striker to move the deck lid from a partially closed to a fully closed position. An arrangement such as this adequately performs the latching and unlatching of a deck lid from a vehicle body but in certain installations may not be used due to space limitations.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the closure latch generally includes a power operated lever member which is swingably mounted on the'deck lid and mounts the latch mechanism which includes the latch bolt. The latch bolt cooperates with a striker which is fixedlysecured to the body. Upon release of the latch bolt from the striker, either by power means operable from the interior of the body or manual means operable from the exterior of the body, the lever member is swung outwardly of the deck lid to extend the latch mechanism outwardly thereof and move the deck'lid to a partially open position. Thereafter, when the deck lid is moved to a' partially closed position and the latch bolt is engaged with the striker, the lever member is swung inwardly of the deck lid to move the deck lid to closed position in tight sealing engagement with the body.

1 The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved vehicle closure latch which is selectively operable by either manual or power means. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved power operated vehicle closure latch which is operable to move the closure from a closed to a partially open position and from a partially closed to a closed position in tight sealing engagement with the body. A further object of this invention is to provide an improved vehicle body closure latch which includes a fixed striker member and a swingably mounted latch mechanism swingable relative to the striker upon engagement and disengagement of the latch mechanism therewith to move 'the closure to fully closed and partially closed positions.

These and other objects of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings, wherein: t

Figure 1 is: a partial rear elevationalview of a vehicle body and deck lid embodying a closure latch according Fatented July 5, 1960 to this invention, with the closure latch being shown in latched position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to. Figure 1 showing the closure latch in unlatched position;

Figure 3 is a view taken along the plane indicated by line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged broken away view of a portion of Figure 1 showing the latch mechanism;

Figure 5 is a partially broken away view taken along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a view taken along the plane indicated generally by line 6-6 of Figure '1; and

Figure 7 is a circuit diagram.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, a vehicle body deck lid 10 includes an outer panel 12 and an inner panel 14 which are located in spaced relationship to each other at their rear end portions to provide a latch housing 16-at the rear edge POI.- tion of the deck lid. The rear ends of the panels are secured together by bending a flange 18 of the outer panel the latch housing 16 and generally includes a support frame 22 located over an opening 23 in panel 14 and including a forwardly disposed frame member 24 anda rearwardly disposed frame member 26. Frame members 24 and 26 include upper laterally extending flanges 28 which are overlapped and spot welded together. Frame member 24 further includes a lower rearwardly extending lower lateral flange 30 which is welded to a flange 32, Figure 5, of frame member 26 and is bolted at 34 to the inner panel 14 rearwardly of opening 23 to mount frame 22 on the body. Frame member 26 also includes a rearwardly extending lower lateral flange 36 which is bolted at 38 to inner panel 14 rearwardly of opening 23 to mount frame 22 on the body; In order to more fixedly secure the frame members 24 and 26 together, the frame member 24 includes a rearwardly extending lower lateral flange 40 having upwardly extending tabs 42 and 44, with tab 42 being welded to frame member 26 adjacent the flange 36 thereof. Flange 40 is bolted to the inner panel 14 at 46 forwardly of opening 23 to more fixedly mount the frame 22 on the body. 1

A lever member 48 is located between the frame members 24 and 26, with one end of the lever member including a return bent generally U-sha'ped portion 50 having a lateral flange 52. The lateral flange 52 and the lever member opposite thereto are provided with aligned horizontally disposed slots 54. A pin 56 extends through these slots and through aligned generally vertically dis- .posed slots 58 in tab 44 and frame member 24 whereby theone end of the lever member 48 is both pivotally and slidably mounted on the frame member 22, the reason for which will be hereinafter described.

A reversible electric motor 60 is bolted at 61 to frame member 26 and is fixedly secured to a conventional worm and worm wheel reduction gear box 62 which is bolted at 64, Figure 5, to the flange 30 of frame member 24. Although the details of the gear box 62 are not shown since it. is conventional, it will be understood that the armature shaft of the electric motor is fixed to a worm rotatably mounted with the box and "that this Worm meshes with a worm wheel which is also rotatably mounted with the gear box and drives a lead screw 66 projecting upwardly from the gear box, as best shown in Figures '1, 2 and 5 of the drawings. A nut 68 is threadedly mounted on the lead screw- 66 and includes oppositely extending studs 70 which are slidablyreceived within aligned slots 72 in frame members 24 and 26 to thereby mount thenut onthe screw 66 for axial move rlnent relative thereto upon operation of the electric motor 7 than inan arc. j

A latch housing 76 is bolted at 78 to the lever member 48 and to a bracket 80 which is pivotally mounted on the rearwardly extending stud 70' of nut 68 whereby the latch housing will move with the lever member 48." The latch mechanism is mounted within housing 76 and gener-ally includes a detent-member 84,- Figure 4,- mounted therein at 86 and a latc-h bolt 88 mounted therein at 90. The detent membe'i' 84is provided witlf-a detent foot 92 which engages against a detent shoulder 94 of the latch. bolt to holdthe'latchboltin latched position against the.

action of a coil torsion spring 95 which is mounted on .pivot90 and'inte'rc onnected between-thelatch bolt and V the'detentmember to biasthe bolt to unlatched position I and thedetent member to detented position, one end 96 V Qf-the'sPring being hooked over the detent member and the other end 97 hooked over a'lateral tab 98o'f the bolt. A bell-crank 1G0 swinga bly mounted on the pivot 90 has one leg thereof slotted to receive the tab 98 of the I bolt 88 whereby thebell crank swings with thebolt dur ing movement of the bolt between latched and unlatched positions; Tab 98 swings infislot 101 of housing 82'.

a The other leg of the bell crank mounts a pin 102 which is' received' Within the bifurcated actuating arm 193 of a rotary; two-position switch 104 secured to housing 76. Thedetent member .84 extends outwardly of the housing .76 and includes a laterally extending flange 106 which is received within a yoke 108 fixed to the armature shaft of asolenoid 119. The solenoid 1-10is mounted on-the. lever member 48 by means of abracket 112 which is,

welded to the solenoid and bolted to the lever member at 114. i

A pair of alternately opened'and closed limit switches '118 and. 116 are bolted to the lever member 48' at 120.

The switch'118 is in open position when the deck lid is V in fully closed position and in closed position when the deck lid isin'an open position, .and conversely, the switch 116 is inclosed' position Whe'nthe deck lid is in. a closed position and in open position when the deck lid is in an open position. The movement of the switches to open and closed positions is controlled by pivotal and bodily movement of the lever member 48 whereby the actuating plungers 122 of th'e switches alternately engage the flange 40 offrame member 24, as can be seen from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The" closure latch is shown ina latched position in Figures 1 andu4. In this position of the latch, the fork 124' of bolt 88 receives the striker 126 to hold the deck lid in closed position. As best' shown in Figure 3; the strikeris a bent" Ushaped rod, the legs 127 of which are secured to the body structure 128 below the rear edge of deck lid 10. -Striker'126 extends rearwardly over the bodystructure- 128 through an opening 130 in panel 14 which is joined to opening 123 therein.

a l Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7, the operation of the closure latch'willbe described; In the latchedpos'ition of bolt 88, the vehicle battery 132 is'connected to the contact 1340f the rotary two-position switch 104 and thctlimit switch 118 is open so that no circuit to ground iscompleted across motor 60. A normahy open manually" o er ble ,s'w'itch136, which is mounted within" the b'ody in a convenient place'forj man- 11:32" across-solenoidlllli The other'li'mit 1161's 'ua'loperation; is connected between ground and battery closed is connected between the other contact-138 i V Awarning lamp 140 is also connected between contact 138 and of switehl04 and ground across motor 60.

ground. Lamp 140 is mounted within the body in a convenient place for view and indicates the open position of the deck lid.

Assuming now that the driver-desires to open the deck lid from the interior of the body, switch 136 will be momentarily closed by the driver to energize the solenoid Q enoid 110. Upon energization of the solenoid,,the v armatu-rewilllhe mo'ved'inwardly thereof or t th right,

as v ewed n re t9 swin th eer mem er -84 clockwise about pivot 86 and thereby move the detent foot 92 out-of engagement with the detent shoulder 94- of bolt 88. The belt will then be swung to an unlatched. position, as shown in Figure 2 and ifi'dotted-lines in Figure 4, by spring 95, and the camming action of the fork 124 ofthe bolt and striker 126 will move the deck V lid 10- to' a partially'open position. .YDuringthismove ment of the bolt, the bell crank 100 willmove counter clockwise with'theboltabout pivot saith-at the rbifur- V ii cated arm 103zofswitch 104..v'vill move the switchzarrna-g ture out of engagement with contact circuit from battery .132 to ground across the closed switch '116'and the ractor-60.10w energizethe'motor and .also lights lamp-140 to indicate to the driver that the deck lid is in open position. '.Upon energizationof motor I 60, the lead screw 66 willbe rotated to. move the nut 1 axiallydownwardly thereof and thereby shift the lever memher 48 and the latch 1 housing and-mechanism out f wardly of the opening 23-in'1deck lid 10, to the'position shown in Figure 2, asthe one end of the lever member the latch bolt'88 from striker;1-2 6,the switch-I118 immediately'closes, andthe switch lleremains'clo'sedi until a the plunger 122 thereof engages flange 40 to thereby open the switch and stop the motor 6.0, although lamp the striker 126, the deck lid 10 may bevmanually moved to its fully open position, regardless ofwhether or not the motor '60 hasmpved; the lever member-. 48 andthe latch housing 76 and latch mechanism -totheir position as shown Figure 2.

v Assuming now that the deck lid 10 is manually moved from open position to a partially closedposition whercin the fork 124 of bolt 881 has engaged striker 126 to move the latch bolt to its latched position as shown: in Figure 4. The lever member 48 and the latch housing 76 and latch mechanism will then be in their position as shown in Figure 2, except, ofcourse, that the bolt 88, will be in latched engagement-with the striker 126. Upon movement of th bolt 88- frqm an l la hed t a la ch d position, the bell crank. will be; swung clockwise about pivot90, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, to thereby swing the arm 103 of switch 104 and move the switch armature out of en a ement W th thecont-act 13. 1

into engagement with the contact 134. Since switch 118 is closed, a circuit will be-completed from battery 132' to ground across motor 60 to energize the motor; Upon energization of the motor. torotate the lead screw 66,"

the nut 68 will' move. axially and upwardly along-the ine-nt with the weather strip 142 onithe'bo'dy. V i It will be remembered that the closure latch jot this inventionmay also be operated from the exterior" ojtithe an; e -th s it r e e ecwia f aes 1 134 and jintouengagement withcontact 138 thereof. This completesra Figures 3 and4 of the drawings. As best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, a cam member 144 is swingably mounted within the latch housing 76 and is connected to a conventional key cylinder assembly 146 by means of an operating rod 148. Cam 144 is no'rmally positioned adjacent the detent member 84 when the detent member is in detented position and the key cylinder assembly 146 is in locked position. Upon insertion of a key, indicated schematically in Figure 3, within the key cylinder assembly 46 to rotate the actuating rod 148, the cam 144 will be rotated into engagement with the detent member to thereby move the detent member from its detented position, as shown in full lines in Figure 4, to its undetented position, as shown in dotted lines therein to thereby allow spring 95 to move the latch bolt 88 from its latched position to its unlatched position. Thereafter, the operation of the closure latch is as immediately described hereinbefore in conjunction with release of the bolt 88 from within the body by means of solenoid 110.

Thus this invention provides an improved vehicle closure latch which is selectively operable from within the,

body by power means or from the exterior of the body by manual means. The closure latch includes a fixed striker member and a swingably mounted latch mechanism which is swingable relative to the striker upon engagement and disengagement of the latch mechanism therewith to move the closure between fully closed and partially closed or open positions.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, a striker mounted on one of said members, a latch mechanism including a latch bolt engageable with said striker, support means mounting said latch mechanism on the other of said members for bodily movement relative thereto, operating means interconnecting said support means and said other of said members for bodily moving said support means relative thereto, and control means responsive to latching engagement of said bolt with said striker when said members are in spaced relationship for energizing said operating means to exert a force between said support means and said other of said members to move said other of said members relative to said support means and latch means into engagement with said one of said members.

2. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, a striker mounted on said support member, a latch mechanism including a latch bolt engageable with said striker, means mounting said latch mechanism on said closure member for bodily movement relative thereto, and means responsive to latching engagement of said bolt with said striker when said members are in spaced relationship for exerting a force between said latch mechanism and said closure member to move said closure member relative to said latch mechanism and striker into engagement with said support member.

3. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, striker means secured to one of said members, latch means engageable and disengageable with said striker means, means mounting said latch means on the other of said members for bodily movement relative thereto, means responsive to latching engagement of said latch means with said striker means when said members are in spaced relationship for exerting a force between said latch means and said other of said members to move said other of said members relative to said latch means into engagement with said one of said members, and means responsive to disengagement of said latch means from said striker means when said members are together for bodily moving said latch means relative to said other of said members.

4. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, striker means mounted on one of said members, latch means engageable with said striker means, support means mounted on the other of said members for pivotal and, bodily movement relative thereto, means mounting said latch means on said support means for movement therewith, operating means interco'nnecting said support means and said other of said members for moving said support means relative thereto,

said members relative to said support means and latch means into engagement with said one of said members.

5. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, striker means secured to one of said members, latch means engageable with said striker means, means mountingsaid latch means on the other of said members for bodily movement relative thereto, operating means interconnecting saidother of said members and said latch means for moving said latch meansrelative thereto, control means responsive to latching engagement of said latch means with said striker means for energizing said operating means to exert a force between said latch means and said=otherof said members to move said other of said members relative to said latchimeans into engagement with said one of said members, and means responsive upon ,a predetermined distance of movement of said other of said members relative to said latch means to de-energize said operating means.

6. Means forlatching a closure member to a support member comprising, striker means mounted on one of said members, latchmeans engageable with said striker means, means mountingsaid latch means on the other of said members for bodily movement inwardly and outwardly thereof, and means interconnecting said latch means and said other of said members and responsive to unlatching of said latch means from said striker means when said latch means is inwardly of said other of said members for moving said latch means outwardly of said other of said members to thereby move said members apart.

7. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, striker means mounted on one of said members, latch means engageable with said striker means, means mounting said latch means on the other of said members for bodily movement inwardly and outwardly thereof, operating means interconnecting said latch means and said other of said members for moving said latch means relative thereto, operating means responsive to unlatching of said latch means from said striker means when said latch means is inwardly of said other of said members for moving said latch means outwardly of said other of said members to thereby move said members apart, and means responsive upon a predetermined distance of movement of said latch means relative to said other of said members to de-energize said operating means.

8. Means for latching a closure member to a support member comprising, striker means secured to one of said members, latch means engageable with said striker means, means mounting said latch means on the other of said members for bodily movement relative thereto, operating means interconnecting said other of said members and said latch means for moving said latch means relative thereto, first control means responsive to latching engagement of said latch means with said striker means for energizing said operating means to exert a force between said latch means and said other of said members to move said other of said members relative to said latch means into engagement with said one of said members, first means responsive upon a predetermined distance of movement of said other of said members relative to said latch means to de-energize said operating means, second control means responsive to unlatching of said latch means from said striker means for moving said latch means relative to said other of said members to thereby move I a said r ein said latch arid ay: wiih ajd; qp saia memsasi meiiiber eoiriprising, stfikei me aaeass 7' @29 1 me s Iii- 6f "sa d-1am]; means with sa n e ilbe s are in spaced rla member's fdr bbdi 'moveix'iei igreiagvetherew; andmea s dbtlier'df said ilieiilhefs and said latch y means andselct Q1 and alt'efgiatelyi'sfibiisiiie 'to'vlatch- "ing engage ent 6f said 'latbhlmahs'viflh said Striker fiie'ans {or moving said members tdgethi' when'in spaced relationship and unlatehirig diselfgage'inent bf s'a'id latch means fi'tm said striker nieaiisfoi" mpyi g said other of said members and said latch means relatiye to" each a other to move'said members apart fi'bm' eagh dthel 11; 'for latclfing a vehiel bddjcldsur 10 a vehicle body epm'prising, striker means mounted on said 7 body; latch nieans ngageable with's'aidst-rikr, a lever k geajbl with said striker r saiqil atenmeans qqthwmer of: f01'1 bodily maveqegr t 'felatlj there'tb, and means iiiier qihei' Qf said members and" V. V is f. @Y i i b of saidnie iibei's'ielative to sa1dil'atcli inearis iiito engage and controlmeansv re al e w s? i leu a 5a imimfie other ev l 1 i to aid 51 upqn s m lever, power oper atiiig means ritereoniiecfilig" said lied/761 arid a 1j we m swipgiii 'saia levi' mama thei'etb,

said latch means w h'said striker means when said lelc isil re 'is spacedfr oih said body for elie gizing' said pbwei' means to 'exett a fbr c betweeii said lever and said elbsm' 16 said clpsure, nians lateh (m said lever for bddilymbiiiilelit relative t'o'said closure" swingably mpimted adjatiefitiox e' e id' thereof. on said n'iove said closure 'i'elaiiye to said lateh means intefeii gagemeiit with said body;

12. Means for latching a vehicle clbsure t9 a vehicle body comprising, a strikepfixedly mounted oh said lever swiiigably mountedadjabiit' 6116 end thfeof eh upon swinging movement Qf said' leve pqwe'rlppeifating r riieans imreonneting 'sa'id'lver :ahdj'said' acme for swinging said lever relative 111mm; and 'cqn ml me ns rspoi sive'ib the Tdtative posiiti'giii Qf saidleyei relative. to said closure an latching engagement of said'lat'ch fnegh- V 3 ariism 'with'said stijikel when said el'osu-fe'i'sspaced from said body for energizing'said p'ower means toreigertfa fOrCe between said lever and said ClQSliI' t move said closure relative to said latch mehanis'minto enga miem. withsaidbody;

References Cited inthefileiift hisjatehf j "latph means en said lever. 0r b'odily ingyeg em rel? bonsive to latehing enga ement O f' body;a latch meeha iisfii i gag'eabl with said stiikei', a 

